"Starting pitching drives the engine," Maddon said. "I will never be deceived by that thought. While that's happening, you have a chance to hit better just by keeping the other team down. Guys get a chance to get in the flow and do their thing."

Chicago outscored Cincinnati 25-15 in the series after struggling at the plate for much of this season. The Cubs have 23 wins in their last 28 games against the Reds.

Baez came through with three hits and a season-high five RBIs. He got the rout going when he capped a five-run first inning against Amir Garrett (3-3) with his third career slam.

Bryant hit his eighth homer this season in the fourth, a long solo drive to center , and the Cubs scored three in the fifth to take a 9-0 lead.

Jon Lester (2-2) followed up solid starts from John Lackey and Kyle Hendricks by allowing three runs and six hits in six-plus innings. He improved to 11-0 in his last 15 regular-season home starts. Lester left with a 9-1 lead after giving up singles to Jose Peraza, Tucker Barnhart and Arismendy Alcantara in the seventh.

"We're trending in the right direction, which is good," Lester said.

Cincinnati has lost six straight, its longest skid since dropping 11 in a row last May. Recalled from Triple-A Louisville, Garrett gave up six runs and five hits in four innings. He walked four — three in the first inning.

"We didn't throw strikes here," manager Bryan Price said. "This was not a series where we did what we're capable of doing as a staff. We didn't throw enough strikes and it exacerbates a problem."

Chicago's Koji Uehara got his first save this season after he entered with the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth. He retired Adam Duvall on a sacrifice fly , then struck out Eugenio Suarez and Stuart Turner, both on three pitches.

Not convinced

Even after viewing video and still photos from Major League Baseball, Price still was not convinced Votto should have been ruled out at first on a replay review that ended Wednesday's 7-5 loss.

"I think if we're going to make this as good of a system as possible, you have to able to give the team that's on the wrong side of that call the clarity that allows us to go, 'Hey, they got the call right. We'll live with that,'" Price said.

With two out in the ninth on Wednesday, Votto hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop Addison Russell fielded on the other side of second base. Anthony Rizzo had to stretch as far as he could go to bring in the throw. Votto was ruled safe by first base umpire Ed Hickox, but the Cubs challenged the call — and won.

Going down

RHP Barrett Astin was optioned to Louisville.

Trainer's room

Reds: C Devin Mesoraco (tight hamstring) was out of the lineup for the third straight game and might be headed to the disabled list. "We haven't gotten to that point yet," Price said. "There's been improvement each day. But it's a hamstring. It's not the same as an oblique, but I think it can be as easily exacerbated." Mesoraco was limited to a combined 39 games in 2015 and 2016 because of injuries to both hips and his left shoulder.

Cubs: OF Jason Heyward (sore knuckle on his right hand) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Class A South Bend on Thursday.

Up next

Reds: After going the distance in his first big league start since 2014, RHP Lisalverto Bonilla (0-1, 4.85 ERA) is slated to be on the mound when the Reds open a five-game homestand against Colorado and LHP Tyler Anderson (2-4, 6.43) on Friday. Bonilla pitched a six-hitter for his first big league complete game, a 3-1 loss to San Francisco on Saturday.

Cubs: RHP Eddie Butler (1-0, 0.00) makes his second start of the season as the Cubs open a weekend series against Milwaukee. Butler pitched two-hit ball over six scoreless innings at St. Louis on Friday for his first win since May 14 last year with Colorado.

May 16: Brewers players throw confetti on teammate Christian Yelich (22) in the dugout after his two-run home run in the second inning against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
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May 15: Fans watch as the grounds crew remove a tarp from the field as a rainbow emerges over Citi Field before a game between the New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets won the game, 12-2.
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May 14: The Milwaukee Brewers' Tyler Saladino safely dives home in front of Arizona Diamondbacks catcher John Ryan Murphy for an inside-the-park home run in the ninth inning at Chase Field. The Brewers won the game, 7-2.
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May 11: Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels delivers a pitch during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Hamels and three other pitchers combined to one-hit the Astros in a 1-0 win.
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May 7: George Springer (4) high fives teammates Max Stassi (12) and Josh Reddick after batting them in with a three-run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at Oakland Coliseum. Springer had a team-record six hits as the Astros won, 16-2.
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May 6: Yankees rookie Gleyber Torres is doused with Gatorade by his teammates after hitting a walk-off three-run home run to beat the Indians at Yankee Stadium in New York.
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April 27: Cleveland Browns first-round draft picks Denzel Ward, left, and Baker Mayfield, right, throw out the ceremonial first pitches before the Indians' home game against the Mariners at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
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April 26: White Sox third baseman Yolmer Sanchez warms up before a game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium while wearing a shirt in tribute to teammate Danny Farquhar, who suffered a brain hemorrhage in the team's dugout on April 20.
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April 24: A Yankees security guard takes down a fan who ran onto the field during the seventh inning during the Yankees' game against Twins at Yankee Stadium in New York.
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April 23: Dogs walk on the field during Dog Day at Guaranteed Rate Field before a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners. The White Sox won the game, 10-4.
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April 22: Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Jonathan Villar passes time in the dugout during a 4-2 win over the Miami Marlins at Miller Park. With the win, the Brewers completed a four-game sweep of the Marlins.
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April 19: The Phillies' Nick Williams, left, and J.P. Crawford celebrate in 1970's throwback jerseys during their game against the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
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April 11: The New York Yankees' Tyler Austin starts a scrum with Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. The Yankees won the game, 10-7.
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April 5: St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Yairo Munoz (34) reacts after umpire Mike Muchlinski (76) called a strike during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium.
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April 3: Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning against the Cleveland Indians in his first ever regular season at bat at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
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April 2: Cleveland Indians designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion rounds third base on an inside-the-park home run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The Indians won the game, 6-0.
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April 1: The Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani makes his major-league debut as a starting pitcher in a 7-4 win over the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum. Ohtani pitched six innings, gave up three runs, struck out six and got the win.
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March 31: Seattle Mariners center fielder Dee Gordon (9) watches a home run off the bat of the Cleveland Indians' Yan Gomes go over the wall during the fourth inning at Safeco Field. The Indians won the game, 6-5.
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March 29: Giancarlo Stanton (right) celebrates a two-run home run in the first inning with New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner. Stanton hit two home runs in his Yankees debut, and New York beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-1, on Opening Day at Rogers Centre.
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